It was 7:00AM and the temperature was already above 90 degrees. All indications were that the summer was going to be a scorcher. I had just arrived at the workshop – the first day of my summer job with a landscaping company. By day’s end, our crew had mowed 13 lawns, spread new pine straw in the flower beds at an apartment complex, and trimmed rows and rows of hedges at a local community college. The work was hard but the pay was decent and, along with my part-time evening job at a nearby hospital, I would be able to earn enough money to return to college in the fall.

When you are outnumbered 305 to 1 (such as the case with the severely understaffed Jackson prison) then no, you're not equipped to deal with unruliness. It really is your job to keep the inmates happy so that you go home safe after your shift. And with the states further budget cuts of prisons, it'll only get worse.

Your essay shows that you are terribly uninformed about jail and prison conditions. Let me suggest a tour of a local facility sometime. And please keep in mind that offenders are sent to jail and prison as punishment, not for punishment.

Something else to consider, the offender mentioned in this article would have been sent to "pretrial detention", not prison, for these minor violations. These are places for ACCUSED people that have not been convicted and sentanced to state or federal time. It is not right to try to make a place of pretrial detention so unbearable, when the person accused may not be guilty.

I find it a sad commentary in that part of me admires Willie for at least working part of the time. What has the world come to?
I also glean this from this article- Willie probably would have been a regular tax-paying citizen if he didn't have that unfortunate little drug habit of his. And people think drugs don't hurt anyone except the user.
I think perhaps jail and prison are two very different worlds. Jail may not be quite as harsh, unless you get a stinger grenade taped to your neck.
Prison is a whole 'nother issue. As another poster pointed out, the guards are outnumbered by violent felons.
Spencer, well-written article. Thank you.

I don't find it sad that you feel some compassion for Willie. Willie sounds like a human being and Spencer always comes off sounding self-rightous and judgemental. Now he has ESP to boot. Not all prisoners are murderers or violent people, and I am not defending those who are. Most are poor and came from not so great homes. Many were molested as children. Many work full time without the benifit of even a few cents per hour to buy some work boots or a warm coat. (family can send money to buy boots but only a blue jean jacket is allowed for warmth nomatter what the temp is) This is in addition to doing their "time". They pay for their mistakes although they never overcome the judgement of people like Spencer. Yes, they did the crime and now they have to do the time, but what chance does anyone have if everyone thinks like Spencer.

the comments on this blog area joke!folks you are sent to prison or jail because you broke the damn law.jail sholud be tough,its not tough enough now!these people are the scum of society.prison should be hell!they should fear going to jail.you want Sympathy for these people i'll tell you where you get Sympathy, its in the dictionary between [email protected]# and sypillis.

Didnt take long for stone-casters to appear..lets just make addiction illegal all together..addiction to cigarettes, adult entertainment, television, internet, shopping, lottery etc..these addictions are harmful to society but still legal.
God said "You shall have no other gods before Me"
if we make ALL forms of addiction illegal then we can rid the world of these law-breakers and "scum of society" (per #7).
#7, I hope people have more sympathy on you than you have on others...but then again, since you are perfect, you have nothing to fear.

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